Work has begun on Sheppard Robson’s Middle East headquarters for Siemens in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.

The first HQ building to be built at Masdar, it is anticipated to be one of the first buildings in the region to get a LEED Platinum rating.

The architect describes it as having been designed from the inside out, with environmental efficiency prioritised over the aesthetics since Masdar is aiming to be the world’s first carbon-neutral city.

The building envelope was conceived as a highly-insulated, airtight facade within a lightweight aluminium shading system.

Completely column-free floorplates and 15m spans reduce the materials used by approximately 60%.

It is due to complete in late 2012.